Centrelink to deploy business continuity software

Centrelink and its parent Department of Human Services were in the design phase of a business continuity software rollout that would replace ad-hoc disaster recovery processes.

The department sought software that would support the development of strategies, business continuity plans, training, review and maintenance in a request for tender last August.

In April, it signed a three-year deal with Canadian software company Linus that encompassed more than 1000 users from Centrelink, Medicare and other Human Services agencies.

Under the deal, Linus would work with the department to roll out its Revive software suite during the next 12 months.

Linus chief executive Saul Midler said the suite would clarify staff members’ roles in the face of disasters like the Queensland floods in January.

The software replaced ad-hoc processes that tended to be managed using Microsoft Word documents and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

“There are efficiencies to be made,” Midler said. “It’s not necessarily about saving time in a big way, but about doing things better.

“The larger the organisation, the more important it is to have structure,” he said, highlighting audit and compliance concerns.

Midler said he had observed “a great push in organisations wanting to focus on business continuity for the right reasons, not just to get a tick in a box”.

The Human Services deal was the largest for Revive to date, he said, declining to disclose its value.

A department spokesman said the rollout helped it to continue providing assurance to Government on its ability to continue to deliver services in the event of a disruption.

“The Department of Human Services regularly assesses its risk management initiatives and, when necessary, makes improvements to bring it in line with new technologies,” he said.

“By implementing a business continuity software package, the Department is ensuring it is in a position to effectively respond to any disruption to its business, and by doing so, increase its organisational resilience in times of high demand or emergency.”